Mount Vernon Blog

In the 1790s, while in New York and Philadelphia with her grandparents, Eleanor (Nelly) Park Custis received an exceptional education that included drawing lessons with British landscape artist William Groombridge. Throughout her life, she continued to paint and Mount Vernon has several reproductions of Nelly's original watercolors.  In the Little…

In the 18th century,  the Washingtons watched fireworks on several occasions throughout their lives, often to celebrate a historic moment. On the evening of George Washington's first inauguration in 1789, for example, the skies in New York City were filled with fireworks. Boston merchant John May reported that the fireworks “on the bowling green…

Once the Architecture team completed the repair work in the Blue Room, the decorative wall and woodwork finishes could be applied. The most dramatic transformation of the restoration was the application of the period-appropriate wallpaper and paint. All of the woodwork in the room was first primed with shellac—a technique used during the 18th century…

Unseen Collections Revealed!

Thursday, June 22, 2017

We recently launched a new vlog series to show a side of Mount Vernon rarely seen by the public. The first episode explores Mount Vernon's hidden treasures with our collections team. The collections staff oversees the 10,000 objects in the fine and decorative arts collection. The items in the collection that aren't on display in the Mansion or museum…

Traditional 18th Century Sheep Shearing

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Sheep were an important commodity to George Washington at Mount Vernon, and our livestock team keeps the history alive of their role to this day. They raise and breed Hog Island sheep, a breed similar to those Washington kept.  Wool keeps sheep warm during the winter, but it was sheared to make clothes and blankets in the colonies. Today, Mount Vernon…

"Common Patties" were a meat pastry commonly eaten in colonial America. Learn how to make them at home! INGREDIENTS Ground beef or veal2 slices of baconPastry dough1 bunch Parsley1 bunch ThymeSalt to tastePepper to tasteGrated nutmeg to taste DIRECTIONS 1. Take some ground meat (veal, beef etc.) and some boiled ham or bacon chopped very fine, season…

Having a hard time finding a gift for dad? Here are some unique gift ideas you can find at the Shops at Mount Vernon.